The container is one of the first inventions of humanity and its industry is transversal and essential for the rest of the sectors, since packaging is omnipresent to guarantee the safety, conservation, storage, transport, control and traceability of products. In addition, containers and packaging are the main gateway for consumers to brands. The irreplaceable role of packaging can be seen from May 24 to 27 at the Hispack show at Fira de Barcelona, ​​where 600 direct exhibitors from 19 countries and more than 1,100 represented brands will meet at the Gran Vía venue to show concrete results of innovation, new materials and applications in sustainability, digitization and user experience of the packaging.

The packaging industry shows excellent results despite the pandemic, and claims to be an essential sector for carrying out any economic activity, as well as being a catalyst for innovation at the service of sustainability, its great challenge for the future. With a turnover of 29,750 million in 2020, the sector represents 4.37% of the total turnover of the Spanish industry and represents 2.65% of the national GDP, according to a report presented by the Hispack trade fair at Fira de Barcelona .

The economist Adrià Llacuna, author of the study, considers the role of this sector "irreplaceable", which was essential when global supply chains failed and many of its companies transformed part of their production to serve medical supplies. Llacuna also underlines the innovative potential of the sector, which in recent years has accelerated exponentially, both in competitiveness and in the efficiency of manufacturing processes, for customers and the industry itself, being a key technological vector in digitization and sustainability. .

60% of Hispack's offer will correspond to equipment and machinery for packaging, bottling, labeling, coding, traceability, process, automation, robotics and logistics. Meanwhile, the remaining 40% of exhibitors will present materials, finishes, POS and specific packaging elements for different industrial and consumer sectors, as well as for distribution, ecommerce and retail. Hispack will be held this year together with Graphispag, the exhibition for the graphic industry and visual communication, an alliance that will make it easier to discover the latest in graphic technology, customization, prototyping, designs, shapes and printing finishes.

Xavier Pascual, director of Hispack, anticipates that more than 100 knowledge-oriented activities will be held at the fair with a "business user" vision, to learn about the achievements made and how companies apply their solutions, for example, from the point of view of of sustainability”. There will also be a program of invited international buyers, with the selection of 150 companies with prospecting or purchase projects. Innovation in containers and packaging has accelerated due to the competitiveness and efficiency of industrial manufacturing processes, thanks to digitization and automation; also due to the progressive deployment of a new legislative framework and the transformation of the consumer into a conscious actor, with new consumption patterns.

The food sector, due to its relevance and notoriety, is the main driver of innovation in packaging, with solutions that rely on paper and cardboard as an alternative to plastic in the distribution of fresh products. Some innovations go through the eco-design of packaging from its conception to ensure that they are easily recyclable; the use of packaging expressly designed for reuse; the single-dose bet; the reduction of the weight of the containers without diminishing functionalities and performance, the reintroduction of post-consumer material of recycled origin, as well as the simplification or elimination of components.

Hispack's training proposals will be complemented by technical seminars and conferences promoted by professional associations, entities and publications. A day will also be devoted to addressing five international success stories that have brought about a revolution in terms of business transformation. Among them, the Danish firm Grow up farm stands out, which grows microgreens and which, thanks to a disruptive packaging, has begun to export part of its production, or Cubers, an ice manufacturer and packer that leads the market thanks to a new packaging proposal.

The Graphispag show dedicated to printing will be held this year together with Hispack with joint access to its visitors from May 24 to 27. Innovation in processes, sustainability, digitization and graphic products stand out as the lever to relaunch the sector, which must face the drop in demand due to Covid and the greater digitization of communication. With 85 exhibitors, the show will focus on packaging and label printing, the graphic specialties that are growing the most, although without neglecting the graphic possibilities for other sectors and the personalization of printed products.